Children of God / The Family International
Founded by David 'Moses' Berg in 1968. From 1976 to 1987 practised 'Flirty Fishing' (using sex for evangelism and recruitment) and published 'Mo Letters' explicitly endorsing sexual contact between adults and children. Reorganised as 'The Family International' in 2004.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
+1 for documented systematic child sexual abuse and the 'Flirty Fishing' practice.
Profile facts
In context
Berg's apocalyptic Jesus-people movement evolved into one of the most heavily documented sexual-abuse cults of the 20th century. The 'Mo Letters' included explicit child-sexual material; the 'Flirty Fishing' programme between 1976 and 1987 used female members for sex-evangelism. Children including Berg's grandson Ricky Rodriguez (who killed himself and a former nanny in 2005 before suicide) testified to systematic abuse. Multiple second-generation members have publicly spoken; the organisation continues in much-reduced form as 'The Family International'.
Key control doctrines
- 'God is love, sex is love' (Mo Letters)
- Flirty Fishing
- Total community of property
- Imminent end-times Tribulation
Recovery resources
- ICSA Helpline — International Cultic Studies Association — questions about high-control groups, referrals to cult-aware therapists, peer support.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation — BITE Model assessments, exit-counselling resources, family education.
- ICSA Cult-Aware Therapist Directory — ICSA-maintained directory of licensed mental-health professionals with specific cult-recovery training.
- Combatting Cult Mind Control — Steven Hassan, 1988 (revised 2018). The foundational BITE Model book; CLCI Hub's core methodology source.
- Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships — Janja Lalich & Madeleine Tobias, 2006. Practical recovery workbook.
- Holding Out HELP — Utah-based organisation supporting people leaving fundamentalist polygamous Mormon communities.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Notable public ex-members
- Ricky Rodriguez (deceased 2005)
- Christina Babin
- Kristina Jones
- Verity Carter
Legal cases & controversies
- Multiple 1990s European custody cases over child welfare
- UK Lord Justice Ward 1995 ruling documenting abuse
- Argentinian and Brazilian raids and prosecutions
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 1968David Berg founds Teens for Christ in Huntington Beach, CA
- 1974First 'Flirty Fishing' Letter published
- 1987Flirty Fishing officially ended after AIDS concerns
- 2004Reorganises as 'The Family International'
- 2005Ricky Rodriguez murder-suicide draws international attention
Sources
- James Chancellor, 'Life in The Family' (2000) search ↗
- Stephen Kent academic work search ↗
- Ricky Rodriguez 2005 video testimony search ↗
- BBC 'World in Action' investigations search ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.